


no matter what - A Bughead Oneshot

by tamifau



Series: Bughead Oneshots [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 10:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18963694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamifau/pseuds/tamifau
Summary: "Who needs my help, Arch" Even though I already knew the answer, I needed him to say his name."I do.", the familiar voice came right from behind me. I didn't have to turn arround, the power of his presence overwhelmed me. He was here, Jughead was here."We need you to tune Reggies car for a race, I that possible?"This Oneshot takes place in the Episode Season 2 Ep. 6 - I changed a couple of things. Betty and Veronica already sorted things out but don't chase after the sugarman, so the girls don't meet the boys at the Ghoulies' place. Betty doesn't know something about a street race, when she comes to the workshop. All characters and their rights are by Archie Comics, not me. This is a fanfiction and not a actually scene.





	no matter what - A Bughead Oneshot

**Author's Note:**

> This Oneshot takes place in the Episode Season 2 Ep. 6 - I changed a couple of things. Betty and Veronica already sorted things out but don't chase after the sugarman, so the girls don't meet the boys at the Ghoulies' place. Betty doesn't know something about a street race, when she comes to the workshop. All characters and their rights are by Archie Comics, not me. This is a fanfiction and not a actually scene. 
> 
> Leave a comment and let me know what you think! :)

It was a cold spring morning, the air smelt like rain on cut grass, birds were singing beautiful melodies against the dark clouds in the air – a battle between dark and happiness. A battle I've been fighting my whole life, or at least since the Riverdale jubilee. 

It's been a week since the Blackhood forced me to cut off the only good thing in my life. The only person who knew me better than I do myself – Jughead. Even though I could clean up things with Veronica after this horrible night at the five seasons, I was feeling alone and empty. 

A freezing breese crawled into my jacket, so I tightened it up a little and crossed my arms around my chest. I was shivering like most of the time the last few days. Mabye because the winter's taking another deep breath and trying to hold on Riverdale a bit longer, or mabye just because I was feeling stone cold inside of me.  
The gravel under my boots seemed unnatural loud as I made my way to the old workshop of Reggies' family. Archie called me the day before and asked for my help to get Reggies car tuned up. He didn't tell me the reason, but that didn't matter. Even though I would like to spent my weekend alone by myself locked up in my room, I couldn't say no after everything that he has done for me. So I lifted myself up after a sleepless night full of tears and vomit and packed up my tools I used with my Dad when I was younger.  
The workshop was quiet, almost peaceful so early in the morning – just the restless soul of Archie Andrews in front of it destroyed the idyll. 

„Hey“, I was trying to smile as I stood in front of him. 

„Betty, thanks for coming“, Archie respond, his eyes traveling to the entrance of the hall. As he took a closer look at me, the small wrinkle on his forehead arised, which always occurs when he's worried.  
„Jesus, Betty. You look exhausted.“, he whispered and pulled me into a hug. For a second it felt like he could stick the broken pieces in me right back together, but as soon as he let go, I fell back apart.

„Thanks, I'm happy to see you too.“, I giggled. But I couldn't blamed him though. My hair just pinned up to a messy bun and the attempt of covering up my dark circles under the eyes was as bad as my mood. „Shouldn't we get started?“

„First I need to tell you, that I'm sorry. Now that I see how you're holding up, I think this was the worst idea ever. But you are the only one that can help us with it.“, Archie exclaimed. 

„It's okay Archie, It's not that I have something better to do. Let's just go inside and -“, but he interrupted as I was trying to go to the front door.  
„No, Betty. You don't understand. I need to tell you something, before you go inside.“

The door opened and Reggies' face appeared with a smile on his face.  
„Andrews, we're waiting. Let's go inside it's freezing.“  
„Wait, we? Who else is here? I thought I shouldn't tell anybody about this, you made me promise.“, a bad feeling crawled through my body as Archie and Reggie shared a look. 

„I'm sorry Betty. He needs our help, your help. You wouldn't have come if I told you and mabye you two can finally talk.“, I saw fear in Archies face as he looked at me. „Who needs my help, Arch.“  
Even though I already knew the answer, I needed him to say his name.

„ I do.“, the familiar voice came right from behind me. I didn't have to see him, I didn't have to turn arround, the power of his presence overwhelmed me.  
He was here, Jughead was here. 

I catched a few deep breaths before I turned arround, another one to get myself together and looked him in the eye – and I was shocked. 

This deep blue eyes full of love and light, that I was so falling for were surrounded by dark circles, which seemed to swallow all the life that was left over. His hair covered with his beanie, not as black as it was. He seemed to be older than he was when I saw him last time. 

„We need you to tune Reggies car for a race, is that possible?“, even his voice seemed darker and I needed a couple of seconds to nod.  
I looked down, another gaze directly in his eyes and I knew that I would start crying again. To strong was the bad conscience when I saw how hurt he was. He might not show it to everyone, but I knew him better to know, what he really felt. So I just nodded again and made my way through the door, right to the car.

„Guys, Reggie and I are going to Pops and get us all some food. What do you want?“, Archie nervously tipped from one foot to the other while standing next to us waiting for an answer. The two boys were standing at the other side of the hall the whole time as soon as we came in, not sure how to act or what to say. Reggies face covered with a smirk, Archies just staring at us in worry. 

I lifted myself up from the engineroom I was working on and wiped away the oil on my cheek. „Nothing, thanks Arch.“, I responded and continued.

Even tough I couldn't see both of them I literally could feel that they shared a look. I know that I lost a lot weight the last weeks, not only because of Jughead or the loss I was feeling inside me, also because of the Blackhood calls and my parents. It wasn't easy to eat when your stomage seems to be loaded with guilt and hopelessness. Jug took a deep, kind of annoyed breath and finally giving his answer: „the same as always, Archie, thank you.“

The last few minutes - or hours? I couldn't tell – we spent in silence except for my little instructions to hand me tools off the table behind him. But even though we didn't talk, there was a tension which was unbearable.  
I wasn't in a place to complain. Literally 24 hours before I wouldn't have thought, that I ever get the chance to be in the same room alone with him again. He's keeping his distance, but I could smell his perfume, the smell I couldn't describe with another word than just simple – him. He kept an eye on me, watched every move I did, tried to figure out what had changed. I would love to give him the answer that he deserved, but the fear of the Blackhood going after him was to heavy on my heart. To be honest, this exactly thought kept me awake at night. Crawling deep down to my dreams, showing me Jugheads lifeless body on the floor or infront of my house. The words „your fault“ built with bloody scares on his back making me scream till I woke up sweaty in my bed all alone. 

After a few more minutes all alone by ourselfs, I couldn't handle the silence anymore and after another few moments of trying to convince myself to say something, I cleared my throat, looked at him. He leaned against Reggies car, his arms crossed in front of his body, his upper lip pulled between his teeth and I knew him long enough to know that this was a clear indication that he was thinking about something tense.

„God bless Reggie Mantle and his inferiority complex.“, I places the cover over the engine, almost finished with my work. „His car's a lot like him. It's beautiful to look at, but not much going on under the hood.“  
I tried to smile and looked at him again, his eyes were fixed on something on the ground. He clearly wasn't in the mood for smalltalk. 

„crescent wrench, please?“, I asked nervous and I wiped my forehead again. Finally he looked at me and it feels like ice running down my spine. The blue in it wasn't warm and loving like always, it was pure diappointment. Jughead crapped for the wrench and handed it to me, trying not to smash something. Frustration in every step he took. 

As he held the tool to me, I couldn't stop myself to touch his hand first instead of the metal. I just needed to feel his skin, the warmth of him one last time as long as I got the chance. The known spark flowed through my body, seemed to revive my body, filled my heart with warmth.  
I shivered and looked at him, his eyes pinned on mine. „Thank you.“, i whispered. It was more like a breath, but loud enough for him to hear.

We felt silent again, but not like a comfortable one that we had when we were sitting in his trailer, I'm with a book in my hands, he with his laptop writing. No, this silence is like crushing, menacing blackness that weighs heavily on our hearts. 

„This is what serpents do for fun, huh? Start races against rival-gangs?“ 

„Go on and say it Betty!“, he shouted, a shiver ran down my back, I winced a bit at the tension he showed. Jughead turned around and looked straight to my eyes, challenged me to go on to the discussion we both knew was inescapable.

„You said you won't gonna join them, Jug.“, I whispered and layed down my work.  
„And you said you loved me.“, his words cutting right through my already broken self. „And than you dumbed me, via Archie? Which is, by the way, way worse than via text.“, not a question I should answer. It was his question for who the hell is standing in front of him. He didn't know who I was anymore, because he knew, that I would never do that to him. But the scariest part was, that he really thought I wouldn't loved him anymore.

„I am sorry, Jughead.“, his name's like cutting though my tounge and this was probably the first time since we broke up, that I was able to say it.  
„It won't make any sense, but everything around us was imploding and I did it to protect you.“  
I felt the need of telling him everything deep down my body. I needed to make things right with him, but the fear of him getting hurt was like a snake wiggling through my soul. 

„Betty, you did the one thing that can actually hurt me.“, with this words he took a step back and shaken his head in disbelieve. I took a deep breath and straightened my body.  
„I'll explain everything to you, I will.“, I said and taken a step forward. „But first I wanna get you through this race.“

 

-

 

Jughead pushed the rosty door of his trailer open, made himself clear with a step to the side – 'came in' his eyes begged and it seemed like the last few pieces of my heart bursted into ashes.  
It was hard to understand what happened in the last few hours. How my day changed from laying in bed, thinking about Jug, crying into my pillows to actually seeing him, talking to him and now after a crashed street races standing right next to him in his trailer on the Southside.

„Do you want something to drink?“, he asked, his voice not more than a whisper.  
After the police arrested the Ghoulies, Jughead and I got in the car. Naturally he drove back to his trailer, taking me with him. He was exhausted, challenged by the new problems he has to solve, just tired of fighting. After what I told him before the race, I saw a spark of hope in his eyes trying to grow and enlighten itself to come free from the darkness that kept him the last days.

' I never stopped loving you, Jug. I'm not sure I can'

I looked at him, trembling and shook my head.  
„Fine“, he signed and sit on the couch. While I made my way to the other side and sat down, his right hand was traveling to the seam of his beanie. He was holding it tight, this was his kind of protection. He sheltered himself from everything I could tell him now.

„So...“, I took a deep breath, „can we talk?“  
„That's what we're here for, right? Even though I don't know what you wanna talk about. Archie made it very clear. You don't want anything to do with someone from the Serpents. Someone like me.“, Jughead claised at me and I shivered.  
„Juggie, I'm sorry“ - „you already said that.“, he interrupted me sharply.

„You left me. Not just that, you sent Archie to do the dirty work. I thought you love me like I love you. You said to me that whatever I need to do or explore you will be there and support me. I thought -“, his voice broke and so did myself. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks.  
„I thought that this, us, meant something to you. That I did.“ - „you did, you still do, you mean everything to me. Don't you hear what I said back at the race?“, I bursted out, trying to reach his hand, but he snatched it from me.

„Don't“, his eyes tacked on me. „I heard you, but don't lie to me and much more important, don't lie to yourself. If I mean everything to you, you wouldn't have done that. You would have at least talked to me in person. Or said something when we were at Pops the other day.“, he stood up from the couch, now slamed his beanie to the ground, going through his hair, a single black strain hanging down his forehead. He didn't turn arround, surely couldn't look at me.

„I did this because I couldn't look you in the eye.“, I said after looking at him for a few moments trying to inhale as much as I can.  
Jughead snorted contemptuously: „of cause you couldn't“

I raise myself from where I was sitting, tried to stand straight, but it was like my feet were jelly. Anxious was raising inside of me, taking control of my body.

„Just let me explain.“, I whispered between the sobs that were getting worse and worse. Jug turned around, facing me and I recognized a short worried look as he saw I was crying, his eyes softened. But he didn't came to hug me like always, he just stood there in silence. 

„I-“, I tried to start but in fact I didn't have the right words. It was like all the feelings I kept behind, hit me and showed their face. I could feel the pleasure pain of my nails cut through the thin skin of my palms. I could feel the warm blood running through my fingers, dropping on the ground. The sharp fold on Jugheads forhead disappeared, his eyes widened as he noticed.  
„Don't“, he whispered in pain, reaching out and grap my hands. The feeling of his warm skin on mine made me breathe, like I was holding it since we broke up. I could feel the pain overwhelming me and I sunk to my knees.  
„Hey, hey, hey!“, Jughead shouted repeatedly, but I barely heard him. 

„Come here.“, he sit down next to me, lifted me up und leaded me back to the couch. 

„Let me at least hand you a Coke“, he went to the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of the fridge, a half of a sandwich and brought the first aid cit. He sit back next to me, closer then before, handed me both and looked at me, as if I was about to disappear if he wouldn't.

„You have to eat.“, he whispered and I swear when I returned his gaze, there was a shiny spark on his cheeks, silent tears running down. 

I couldn't speak, so I just grabbed the sandwich and took a bite. My stomach too loaden with guilt to take it. „When I saw you back at the workshop, I was so worried.“, his voice was no longer angry or filt with dissappointment, it was filt with pure worry, helplessness.

„I mean look at you, Betty. Did you eat anything the last couple of days?“ - he got a point with that. To embarressed to say what we both already knew, I looked down on my bloody hands. As I did, the raven-haired boy careful took them into his and went through with a disinfected cloth from the first aid cit. It burned, but it was a pleasure to feel another pain instead of the ever-present. 

„It's deep“, he breathed out.He was clearly fighting with himself about what he should do, taking his bottom lip between his teeth.

„Don't do this, please.“ Jughead crapped my chin and made me look at him. „never, not because of me, not because of anything else.“ 

New tears appeared at the cornor of my eyes, his gaze burning itself through my skin. I wanted to look away, but his grip around my face didn't allowed me to.  
„Promise me, I need you to say it.“, he whispered. 

„I promise.“, was all that came through my lips.

The next few moments we sat there in silence. He cleaned up the cuts, carfully bandaged them and I was just staring at him. As he was finished he didn't let go of my hands. He took them in his and stroked his thump across them. 

„So tell me, Betts, please. What's up with you?“ I truely wanted to tell him, he deserved it. But the fear of the Blackhood coming after him was that present, that the tears streamed down again. Jugs right hand came up to my face, whiped them away. „Don't be scared.“

I looked straight into his eyes, the eyes I felt in love with every time and took a deep breath. 

„I was forced to.“, I said reading his face for a reaction.  
„Wait, what? Who forced you?“, his hand stayed at my neck, his fingers tightened with upcoming anger.  
„After we cracked the code from the Blackhood and came back from the town hall, he called me the first time.“, I began.

„Who called you?“, Jughead asked interrupting. 

„The Blackhood.“, I whispered mabye because I was hoping he wouldn't hear it, but he did. 

All around us was silent, just Jugheads sharp breath echoed through the trailer.  
„He started to call me and demand things from me to stop him from killing people. He said to cut people out of my life or he would – he wanted me to cut out Veronica, so I did. And then he. -“, my voice broke, the pain hit me completly now. 

„And then he wanted you to cut me out.“, Jughead understood and trailed his hand back to brush my hair behind my ear. 

„He wants me all to himself, that's what he said. I am the one who can stop this murders.“, I cried. 

„No, Betty, listen to me. He totures you. Breaking every relationship you have? You can't seriously think that you can go through this alone - you can't.“, he crapped my shoulters and made me look at him.  
As his voice got louder I instinctly looked around like a startled deer. Panic growed inside of me with the thought of the Blackhood standing outside and listening to us. 

„You can't do this alone, Betty. Look at you, you don't eat, you probably don't sleep either. I can't let you go through by yourself, please let me help you.“

„Jughead, if we're spending time together again he will know this and comes after you. Mabye he is near by and already knows that I am here with you. I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt or even worse. Also, he knows where Polly is Jug.“, I desperatly tried to look away, but his grip didn't allowed me to. 

„Betty, I am a Serpent know. There are a bunch of bikers who got my back. Also I'm able to protect myself and protect you for that matter. And we're calling Polly to make her hide until this is over. She will be fine, I can send a couple of Serpents to bring her somewhere safe, too, if you want.“, his voice strong and a little bit scared at the same time. 

But something kept me calm, deep inside of me I believed him. 

„Please, don't leave me again, let me protect you. And we'll find a way, I promise, my love.“  
„you can't promise that.“  
„Yes I can.“ 

My gaze traveled to the blue ocean which was the entrance of his soul. The anger was gone completly, but the tears were still there at the corner of his eyes. Instinctly my fingers whiped them away, I could feel his shiver as I touched him. Crying for my touch as much as I desperatly needed his.

Jugheads hands traveled back to my neck and pulled me closer. His face was that near, that I could feel his breath against my skin, I could smell him, his unique smell I loved. Our breaths speed up, my eyes traveling to his mouth. And finally our lips connected. It was like a release from everything that layed on my shoulders. Jughead pulled me closer, wrapped his arms around my body, held me for protection and to show me that he was there. His tongue played with my lip, eliced me a sign of relieve, before I gave him the entrance. His hand traveled through my hair, held me, making me fall for him once again. I knew I couldn't live without him, no matter how hard I tried. 

As he let go to breathe, he looked at me with pure resolve, not getting much space between us in fear I could change my mind that he knew he changed in the first place. 

„Let us get through this together, okay?“  
I nodded. „I will end this.“ 

And for the first time I knew I felt capable of that, because I wasn't alone. Jughead Jones was there to safe me once again.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading <3


End file.
